Device for cleaning flume gratings



W. 0. RANDLETT.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING FLUME GRATINGS.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB-1.5, 1921.

Patented June 20, 1922.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15, 1921.

Patented June 20, 1922.

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Y a device ofthis character, in which aframe,

' UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIE O. RANDLETT, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CYRUS 1B.

BUCHANAN. I

DEVIGE FOR CLEANING FLUME (El-RATINGS Application filed February 15, 1921. Serial No. 445,246.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIE O. RANDLETT,

a citizenof the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrlco and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Cleaning Flume Gratings, of which the following, is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning fiume gratings;

The object of'my invention, is to provide carrying, a pivoted rake, at its lower end, is lowered to the lower end of the flume grating and in its upward movement carries with it all trash, accumulated against the grating, and at the same time provides means whereby the trash after it has been carried up beyond the upper end of the grate bars, can be-dumped to tilt the rake so that'the trash will be readily discharged therefrom and at the same time allowing the rake to be locked and remain in said tilted position until the frame carrying the same is lowered to the bottom of the grating, thus allowing the free downward movement thereof past any trash that has accumulated.-

Another object of my invention is to pro- 1 vide a cleaning device of this character which is adapted to be carried along and used in connection with any one of a series of gratings and thus necessitating but a single cleaner for any number of gratings leadlng to the series of turbines for which my .device is more specifically constructed. i

A still further object of my lnventlon is to provide a simple cheap and efiectlve device of this character in whichall operat-v ing parts are above water level, thus preventing any'liability of the device or its operating mechanism being clogged by trash and at the same time permitting the ready repair of all parts, and having certaln details of structure and combination of parts hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying draw1ngs Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my cleaning device applied to one gratlng of a series showing it in its lowered position.

ing position'for releasing the trash and also the position it assumes while being lowered into the fiume. Y

Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional view of the device showing a mechanism for positively forcing the frame carrying the rack down in the event that it will not descend by gravity.

Referringnow to the drawings 1 represents the grating of a fiume for use in turbines or other water power plants and which are arranged in series, one grating to'each turbine. These gratings usually have the grate bars vertically disposed but in many instances they are obliquely arranged. At

the ends of the gratings are arranged the vertically or obliquely-arranged channel irons 2 and 3 which extend parallel with the grating and which form guide ways for the cleaning frame as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The channel irons 3 between the several series of gratings are made of a double form so that theone' channel iron forms a guide for two gratings.

My improved cleaning device consists of a rectangular frame 4 made of angle irons 5, 6, 7 and 8 bolted'or-riveted together in any desired manner and the upper and lower angle irons 5 and 7 are braced by the two stay bolts 9 and 10, and adapted to be reinforced by additional stay bolts and cross braces; The two end angle irons have one to the. lower end of the grating, it being understood that the channel irons extend a sufficient distance above the grating to at all times support the frame when it has been raised to bring the rake above the grate bars. While I have shown the frame supported by cables it will be understood that, in the place thereof rods could be used in which event positive means would be used for drawing the rods up and also forcing them down in which event the frame would be positively forced down and would not depend upon gravity.

Whenithe cables are use a positive operation could be used for forcing the frame down and in which event it would consist of pulleys 13 carried by the channel irons 2 and 3 at a point a little above the grating and cables 14 would pass under the pulleys and be secured to the upper end of the frame and by pulling up on the cable the frame 4 would be forced down.

The lower horizontal angle iron 7 is spaced from the irons 6 and 8 by the short angle. irons 15 and 16 which spaces the iron 7 therefrom. The angle iron 7 is provided with bearings 17 in which are mounted the pintles 19 carried by the rake 20. These pintles 19 are intermediate the ends of the rake fingers and said rake fingers are formed or connected by the two angle irons 21 and 22 which throws the greater portion of the weight on the inside of the pintles and thus the rake would be normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1. The rake at the center has a rod or bar 23 pivotally connected thereto at 24 and which extends upwardlyand passes through an opening 25 in the angle iron 5 and has a cable 26 attached thereto whereby the rod may be drawn upwardly for rocking the rake on its pintle and throw it in the position shown in Fig. 4 ofthe' drawings for dumping the rake. The rod 24 has a notch 27 in its edge and into which extends the cam member 28 pivoted at 29 whereby the bar is locked in its raised position and will hold the rake so that it will readily pass downwardly by any trash that has accumulated against the grate bars. The cam member 28 also grips the rod and holds it in its lowered position with the rake in the position shown in Fig. 1 so that the weight of'the trash will not tilt the rake in its upward movement, though normally this would be unnecessary. This cam member 28 is operated by a cable 30 whereby the bar is released after the frame has been lowered in the water and reaches the lower end of the grating, so that the weighted end of the grate throws it in a horizontal position.

The end of the rake fingers have a horizontal bar connecting the outer ends thereof and said bar engagesthe outer face of the grate bars so that the ends of the rake fingers will not extend between the grate bars and thus allow the free upward passage of the rake by the horizontal supports of the bars so that the frame and. rake can travel above the upper end of the grating and the trash dumped on the wall or support above the grating. As heretofore stated these gratings are usually arranged in series, one grating for each turbine. and by having the hoisting and lowering mechanism arranged on a traveling member supported above the series of gratings the frame can be moved along and lowered in any of the guides opposite any grating and thus it requires only one cleaner for any number of gratings. It will be seen that a cleaner when not used is supported in the upper ends of the guide rails 2 and 3 above the water and is not subject to the usual wear and tear of the water and trash constantly accumulating against the same.

In operation the frame is placed between the guide rails 2 and 3 and the cable 20 is drawn up thus drawing the rod 24 up until the cam member .28 enters the notch and holds the rake in the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. This throws the ends of the rake fingers away from the grate bar and allows it to pass by any trash that is held by the flow of the water through the grate against the same. When the frame reaches the lower end of the grate bar the cam member'28 is released the. rake by gravity assumes the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The cam member again locks the bar 24 in its lowered position and the cables are-worked to draw the frame up in the guides. When traveling up the bar carried by the rake fingers bears against the grate bars and ca ries every thing up to the upper end and lifts it from the water. The

cam 28 is released and if the weight of the trash is not suflicient to dump the rake, it can be forced down by hand.

Having thus described my invention, whatl claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.. The combination with a grating of the character described, guides adjacent said grating, a frame sliding in said guides, a pivoted rake carried by the lower end of the frame, means for locking the rake in its tilted position when lowering the frame in the guides and also in its working position.

2. The combination with a gratingof the character described, guides adjacent said grating, a frame sliding in said guides,

means for raising the frame in the guides, a

pivoted rake carried by the lower end of the frame and means for locking the rake away from the grating during its downward movement and against the grating in itsupward movement.

3. The combination with a grating of the character described, guides adjacent said grating, a frame sliding in said guides, means for raising the frame in the guides, a pivoted rake carried by the lower end of the frame,

means for dumping the rake, means for holding the rake in its dumped position to bring it away from the grating during the downward movement of the frame, means for releasing the rake after the frame has reached its lower position to bring it in engagement with the grating and means for locking-therake in its last mentioned position during the upward movement of the frame.

4. The combination with a grating of the character described, guides adjacent thereto, a frame sliding in' said guides, a rake .pivoted intermediate its front and back,

i rake intermediately pivoted, and held in an operative position by gravity, a rodfor tilting the rake, means for locking the rod with the rake in its tilted position,-.means for releasing said locking means when the frame has reached the .lower end .of the grating to allow the rake to assume its working position and for locking the rake in its working position.

6. The combination with a grating of the character described, guides adjacent said grating, a frame sliding in said guides, a rake intermediately pivoted and held in operative position by counter weights, a rod for tilting the rake, a cam member for locking the rod with the ,rake in its tilted position, means for releasing the cam when the frame has reached the lower end of the grating, and allowing the counter weight to move the rake in operative position, and

means forraising and lowering the frame.

in the guides. 7,

7. The combination with a grating of the character described, guides adjacent said grating, a frame sliding in said guides, a

rake intermediately pivoted and held in operative position by counter weights, a

rod for tilting the rake, a cam member for locking the rod with the rakein its tilted or working position, means for releasing the cam when the frame has reached the lower end of the grating, and allowing the counter weight to move the rake in operative position, and means for raising and lowering the frame in the guides.

8'. The combination with a grating of the character described, a pivoted rake carried by the lower end of the frame, means for locking the rake in its tilted or working position. 1

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses,

WILLIE o. RANDLETT.

Witnesses i G. G. FOWLER, B. E. Pn'rros. 

